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The government has announced the National Flu Immunisation Programme 2022 to 2023. As social contact returns to pre-pandemic norms there is likely to be a resurgence in influenza (flu) activity in winter 2022 to 2023 to levels similar to or higher than before the pandemic.
In the UK, the flu vaccine is available each year. It is recommended to get the flu vaccine before outbreaks of flu have started. It takes up to two weeks after vaccination for you to be protected against flu.
How effective is the flu vaccine?
No vaccine guarantees 100% immunity, levels of protection vary from person to person, however, studies have shown that the flu vaccine helps prevent you getting a flu. If you do get a flu after having the vaccine, it is likely to be milder and shorter-lived than it would otherwise have been.
Flu vaccines have an excellent safety record. They are the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus which can cause severe illness and deaths each year among at-risk groups.
Over time, protection from the injected flu vaccine gradually decreases, and flu strains often change. New flu vaccines are produced each year, which is why people are advised to have the flu vaccine every year.
Flu and COVID-19
If you get flu and COVID-19 at the same time, research shows you're more likely to be seriously ill. Getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 will provide protection for you and those around you for both these serious illnesses.
If you've had COVID-19, it's safe to have the flu vaccine. It will still be effective at helping to prevent flu. Find out more here
The potential for the circulation of flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses could add substantial pressures to the NHS in 2022 to 2023 due to increasing demand of respiratory viruses to circulate over the colder period.
"It is important every year that people are vaccinated against the flu. This is not only for our own protection, and the health of our families and friends, but because we all want to help reduce the burden of respiratory diseases on the NHS. Preventing flu with help the NHS at a time when Covid-19 rates are likely to remain high for the foreseeable future".
Professor Graham Hart, Chair of the UCL Covid Public Health Advisory Panel
What is seasonal flu?
Flu is a common infectious viral illness spread by coughs and sneezes. It can be very unpleasant, but you'll usually begin to feel better within about a week. You can often treat the flu without seeing a GP.
Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:
- a sudden fever – a temperature of 38C or above
- an aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a dry cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- difficulty sleeping
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea or tummy pain
- feeling sick and being sick
To help you get better more quickly:
- rest and sleep
- keep warm
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains
- drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
Flu can be more severe in certain people, such as:
- anyone aged 65 and over
- pregnant women
- children and adults with an underlying health condition (such as long-term heart or respiratory disease)
- children and adults with weakened immune system
How to avoid spreading the flu
Flu is very infectious and easily spread to other people. You're more likely to give it to others in the first 5 days. Flu is spread by germs from coughs and sneezes, which can live on hands and surfaces for 24 hours.
To reduce the risk of spreading flu:
- wash your hands often for 20 seconds with warm water and soap
- use tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze
- bin used tissues as quickly as possible
- catch it, bin it, kill it